Three Korean-American Professors Including Heo Jun Selected for MacArthur Fellowship, the 'Genius Award'

Professors Choi Yejin and Monica Kim Also Honored

Heo Jun, Professor at Princeton University. Photo by MacArthur Foundation website capture [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] Three Korean-American scholars?Heo Joon-yi (39), a professor at Princeton University; Choi Ye-jin (45), a professor at the University of Washington; and Monica Kim (44), a professor at the University of Wisconsin?have been selected for the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the "Genius Grant."

The MacArthur Foundation announced on the 12th (local time) that it had chosen 25 outstanding individuals from various fields, including Professors Heo, Choi, and Kim, as fellowship recipients, according to the US daily The New York Times (NYT).

Professor Heo, who won the Fields Medal, often called the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics," in July, was also named on the MacArthur Fellowship list. The foundation described Professor Heo as "a mathematician who solved long-standing mathematical problems by establishing new connections between combinatorics and algebraic geometry," and noted that "he approaches problems innovatively and collaborates beneficially with others through effective and clear communication."

Choi Ye-jin, Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle. Photo by MacArthur Foundation website capture

Professor Choi, an authority in the field of natural language processing (NLP), which uses computers to analyze language, was also included among the awardees. He developed a system that automatically identifies fake reviews and fake news on online shopping platforms by synthesizing factual accuracy and the writer’s intent.

Professor Choi said, "As a female immigrant, I had to overcome many challenges," and added, "I never imagined I would receive this award." After graduating from Seoul National University in 1999 and earning her Ph.D. from Cornell University, Professor Choi has been teaching in the United States and is currently developing systems that enable computers to make ethical decisions based on synthesized information.

Professor Monica Kim, University of Wisconsin. Photo by MacArthur Foundation website capture

Professor Kim, a history expert, was recognized for offering new insights into U.S. foreign policy in the context of global decolonization after World War II. She graduated from Yale University in 2000, earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and has served as a professor at New York University.

The MacArthur Fellowship was established in 1981 to encourage talented individuals active in fields such as science, arts, and social activism. Recipients receive a prize of $800,000 (approximately 1.14 billion KRW) over five years.

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